Car-coupling and coupling-operating mechanism.



W. AHLEN.

GAB COUPLING ANU COUPLING OPERATING MECHANISM.

. APPLIOATION FILED-mule, 1912.

1,11 4,570. Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

FIG.2

INVENTOR WITNESSES 4 am a n W. AHLEN. OAR COUPLING AND COUPLINGOPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULYlB, 1912.

Patented Oct.20,1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

FIG. 5

WITNESSES 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM AI-ILEN, OI? DUQUESNE, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING AND COUPLING-OPERATING MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM AIILEN, a

. subject of the King of Sweden, residing at Duquesne, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulCar-Coupler and Coupler-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to the construction of car couplers, and operatingmechanism therefor, and more particularly relates to the construction ofcar couplers used on mold cars employed in casting ingots and inhandling and transporting ingot molds in the ingot casting and moldstripping operations.

One object of this invention is to provide a car coupler having novelmeans whereby the detachable coupling links are mechanically held inposition in recesses in the ends of the cars so as to automaticallyenter the recess or opening in the abutting end of an adjoining car towhich the cars are to be coupled and in this way avoid the necessity ofentering the coupling links by hand in the'car coupling operations, andanother object of my invention is to provide improved means for.operating the car coupler in uncoupling the cars whereby the liabilityof accident or injury to the workmen in coupling the cars is avoided andovercome.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan partly in section showing a mold carhaving a car coupler thereon as constructed and arranged in accordancewith my invention. Fig. '2 is a sectional side elevation on an enlargedscale showing one end of the mold car having a car coupler and coupleroperating mechanism constructed in accordance with this invention, thesection being taken on the line II-II 01 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an endelevation of the car shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. at is a plan, partlyin section, showing myimproved car coupler as applied to the removabledraw head or bumper of a modi' tied car construction in which the drawhead is removably fastened on the end of the car body. Fig. 5. is anendelevation oi the draw head shown in Fig. i. Fig. 6 is a sectional sideelevation, taken on the line .VI-VI of Fig. 5.

In the drawings, referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the numeral 2 designatesthe body of an ingot mold car on which the ingot molds are mounted, themolds standing on Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 18, 1912.

Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

Serial No. 710,122.

end on mold stools removably secured on the top face 3 ported from placeto place. The car body 2 is provided with bearings l for the axles 5 onwhich the track wheels 6 are secured. In this construction substantiallythe entire upper surfaceof the car body is occupied by the mold stoolsand ingot molds. The construction of the running gear of the cars, notforming part of my invention, is

not further described. 011 each end of the car 18 a horizontallyextending opening or recess 7 into which the coupling links 8 extend andalso in the ends of the car are vertically extending recesses or holes 9in which a verti 'ally movable coupling pin 10 is positioned. Eachcoupling pin 10 is arranged to move vertically in its recess 9 and itslower end is connected to one end of the lever 11 pivoted on a pin 12 atan intermediate point in its length to the car body 2. The outer end ofthe lever 11 extends into the recess 1% in the lower end of the liftingof the car, in being trans-' rod 15, which is positioned within thevertical opening 16 adjoining one side at the ends of the car body. Arecess 17 is provided on the upper face of the ca r body in diagonallyopposite corners of the car in which the bent upper. end or handle ofthe rods 15 are located. The lifting rods 15 being constructed so as tobe heavier than the pins 10 will act as a counterbalance and raise thecoupling pin end of the lever 11 so as to always maintain the pin 10 inits raised or operative position as shown in Fig. 2. The rear end 7 ofthe recess 7 is enlarged, and mounted in the enlarged rear end of thisrecess is a roller or weight 18 which has a limited vertical movement inthe enlarged end T of the recess 7. The downward movement of this roller18 is limited by engagement of. its ends with the olisets formed at theends of the enlarged recess 7. The recess '7 is flared outwardly on itssidesurfaces so as to permit of a limited swinging movei'nent in ahorizontal plane ot' the coupling links placed therein. the sidesofthcse recesses limiting the sidewise movement of the link so that theprojecting outer ends of the links will always enter the openings forthe links in the opposite end of the car being coupled to the car havingthe link secured thereon.

In the drawhead construction shown in Figs. 3, l and 5, the drawhead 20has a liorizontall extending recess 21 extending inwardly rom the outerface thereof in which-the coupling links 8* are inserted,

this recess flaring outwardly and its side Walls limiting the swingingmovement of the coupling links 8* when held therein by the coupling pins22. In this construction,

- the coupling pins 22 are inserted and remov'edby hand. The rear end 21of the recess 21 isenlarged so as to permit the insertion of the rolleror Weight 18 by which the link 8* is held in position,

drawhead of the next car.

and by engagement with the end of the link 8" hold this link in thesubstantially horizontal position necessary to insure'theouteroverhanging end of the link.

entering the corresponding recess 21 in the theend 21 of the recess 21is greater than plate 22 is held in position in the rabbeted 1 recess 7so that one end encircles the con-- recess provided for it at thedrawhead.

In the operation of the apparatus referring to the construction shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 3, the coupling link 8 is held in position in the recess7 by means of the coupling pin 10.- When a link 8 is inserted in the therear face of pling in 10 the end of the pin will be engaged ythevertically movable roller form ing the counterweight 18. The weightof this roller 18 is sufficient to hold the link in ahorizontal positionso that its outer over-- hanging end projects forwardly in. substantialalinement with the recess 7 in end of an adjoining car to be coupledthereto. When the cars are being coupled, the link 8 will enter therecess 7 nd by striking the inclined face of the upper end of the pin 10willcause the pin to be depressed in the recess inwwhich it is mounted.When the end [of the link Spasses the in 10 the then depressed pin 10will be re eased and, through the connecting-lever 11 and lifting rod15, be again raised into lifted position as shown in Fig. 2 so as toenter the opening in the' link'8 and prevent the withdrawal of thecoupling link from the drawhead. IVhen it is desired to disconnect thecars, the lifting rod 15 is grasped and raised manually. This movementof the lifting rod 15 through the connecting lever 11 moves the couplingpin 8 downwardly within its recess 9.50 as to release the coupling pin10 and, by holding the lifting rod {'15 in its raised position until onecar has been moved to be coupled.

The width of a sufficient distance relatively to the adjointhisconstruction it is only necessary to in sert the coupling pin in itsopening and the projecting end of the link 10 is thereby held by theroller or weight 18 in position to enter the recess 21 in the adjacentcar In the construction of Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the end of the couplinglink 10 is held in the drawhead of one car in the desired horizontalposition by means of the. roller 18 in the same manner as has beenhereinbefore described, and the cars are coupled in the same way. Inthis construction the coupling pins 8 are lifted out of the recesseswhen it is desired to uncouple the cars and by using the drawheadconstruction shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. room is provided between theends 'of the coupled cars which is not taken up by the molds and stoolsand the use of the ordinary coupling pins is thereby made possible.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in theart. By

the use of the roller to form a counterbaL' ance weight whichautomatically engages with the end of the coupling links, the outerprojecting ends of the links are held in position to enter the recessesin the ends of adjoining cars so .as to couple the cars without beingoperated manually during the coupling operations. The uncouplingmechanism provides a safe means for detaching the cars without dangerand enables thewhole top surface to be utilized by the ingot molds.

- Modifications in the construction/and ar rangement of the parts may bemade without departing from my invention as defined in the claims.

I claim 1. A car coupler comprising in combina- Y tion a car having arecessed end, said recess having an enlarged inner end, a coupling pmvertlcaly movable within sa1d re= cess and arranged to engage anddetachably' secure a coupling link within said recess, and a lengthwisehorizontal cylindrical roller inclosed within saidrecess and having endportions projecting into the enlarged end of said recess and arrangedtoengage the entering end of the coupling links, said roller beingarranged to yieldingly support said links in causing the links toproject in the desired direction from said recess.

2. A car coupler comprising in combination a car having arecessed end,said recess having an enlarged inner end, a coupling pin verticallymovable within said recess and arranged to engage and detachably securea coupling link within said recess, a lengthwise horlzontal cylindricalroller inclosed within said recess and having end portions projectinginto the enlarged end of said recess and arranged to engage the enteringend of the coupling. links, said roller being arranged to yleldinglysupport said links .10 in causing the links to project in the desired mmof this patent inay he obtained for five cents each, by addressing theCommissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0,.

